When performing restorative dental procedures or other dental operations, it is often necessary to obtain an impression of one or more teeth. To obtain a suitable impression of a tooth, impression material must be able to flow slightly beneath the gum line.
Typically, gingival tissue, saliva, and/or gingival bleeding can block access of the impression material to portions of the tooth below the gum line. A gingival cord can be used to temporarily retract portions of the gum from one or more teeth to ensure access of the impression material to all necessary portions of the tooth. A conventional gingival retraction cord is round in cross-section, formed from braided and/or woven cotton or other absorbent materials, which are often dipped in or impregnated with a substance to control bleeding or moisture. The cord is looped closely around a tooth, and must then be packed around the base of the tooth to separate the gingival tissue from the tooth.
Conventionally, this cord-packing procedure is performed using a narrow dental instrument with a blunted tip to forcefully push the cord between the tooth and gum tissue, compressing the cord to cause formation of a temporary gap between the tooth and surrounding gum tissue. Use of a conventional gingival cord packing tool can be a time-intensive process, can cause discomfort to a patient, and can cause trauma and damage to the tooth and/or the gum. Damaged gum tissue can bleed, hindering the ability of impression material to flow below the gum line to obtain an impression of the tooth. Further, damaged gum tissue can recede, causing sensitive areas of the tooth to become exposed and hindering the effectiveness of restorative dental procedures, such as crowns and bridges.
Other instruments used to pack a cord into the gingival tissue surrounding a tooth include tools having narrow members that slide or scrape along the surface of a tooth, which can cause discomfort or pain, and can also cause damage to the tooth and surrounding gum tissue.
A need exists for a dental apparatus that is usable to place cord beneath a gum line quickly, without causing trauma or discomfort.
A further need exists for a dental apparatus that can gently move along the length of a cord around a tooth while eliminating scraping and minimizing contact with the tooth, thereby minimizing the possibility of damage or discomfort to the patient.
A need also exists for a dental apparatus that can quickly and efficiently place a cord beneath a gum line, without requiring time-intensive packing or scraping methods.
A need exists for a gingival cord having an advantageous cross-sectional shape that does not require significant packing or compression to retract gingival tissue from a tooth, thereby greatly minimizing trauma and/or damage to gum tissue during a cord packing procedure and discomfort to a patient.
The present invention meets these needs.